Injuries, big spills, and podium finishes. Catch up with the Commencal / Vallnord DH team as round four of the UCI World Cup quickly approaches.

After the first three World Cups, it's time for our team to share a bit more about our lives.

"Inside Line" is what we decided to call our new series. Our episodes are a behind the scenes look at COMMENCAL / VALLNORD DH Team. It's about both our best times and the worst. You'll see, it's about our passion.

Why do we love racing so much? Why after injuries and tough days we are still here ready to compete? Why do we do what we do?

Basically, MTB is the most important part our lives, and we couldn't live without it! It all came together when we were the best team of the day in Fort William; it made us realize why we work so hard every day! A day like that is just magical!

The beginning of the season wasn't that easy for us, as George Brannigan had knee surgery in January and glandular fever in February. George didn't let these hardships disturb his preparation too much, and he simply didn't give up! Twice in the top 20 already this year, George is looking to continue to build on his solid early season form.

Myriam Nicole spent the entire winter studying hard to become a physio, while at the same time trying to train as much as she knew her rivals were. The level of the women's field is higher than ever, and she had to work incredibly hard to show she's still one of the fastest girls in the world.

After a great off-season of training, Remi Thirion came into 2017 stronger than ever. Finishing 5th in Fort William after an amazing run, the whole team was super confident for the rest of the season! Unfortunately, his horrific crash in Leogang stopped him in his tracks. To see one of the team's riders rolling across a finish line unconscious was quite frankly terrifying. It was such an incredible relief to get the good news from the hospital that Remi was already standing on his own two feet a mere 24 hours after his crash! Those 24 hours was one of the most difficult days the team has ever had!

As you will see, the team is a family affair. Without the dedication of the Ruffin family, it simply couldn't exist. Travelling, organization, logistics, they do everything together. The three mechanics Damien, Ryan and Maxime, Marilou the chef, Jumpy the driver, Brieuc the osteopath, Keno the photographer and Jean-Rémy the video-producer, everyone is equally integral to the smooth functioning of the group.

Relive how it went in Lourdes, Fort William, and Leogang from our perspective and see what the inside line is!

True, mules and a heli drop were absolutely a luxury during this particular launch, but we did do plenty of pedaling. The bike can climb well, it's no uphill weapon but it still gets you to the top just fine. I climbed with the shock in both the open setting as well as the firm setting and noted some pedal bob with the shock wide open. That said, it's decent climber, but not an XC rocket to the top.

From his start in racing to his career as one of the greatest freeriders mountain biking has ever seen, Jordie Lunn continues to push the boundaries and get out of his comfort zone while on two wheels.

I had initially planned to include a basic tubeless comparison as a control, but quite honestly I got too sketched out to do one as hard as I was hitting the curb with the inserts installed. I was sketched out every first run-in with a new insert installed. Knowing a basic tubeless hit would have the greatest chance of a big failure meant it had to be reserved for last, and I opted out. At 245-pounds with firm suspension settings, hitting that curb while not unweighting the bike at all is a very hard impact.

Since you already have them I'd say test both configurations and see what you think works best for you. I like the feel of running both and think it's worth the penalty. Aaron Gwin just posted similar sentiment on his Instagram account regarding running the Flat Tire Defender in the front and rear vs. just the rear. Keep in mind too that one of the benefits of running these kinds of systems is being able to drop your pressures a bit to allow the tire to track better. Considering more of your cornering traction comes from your front wheel, not running the insert negates that benefit in one of the most important parts of riding where traction is paramount.

With a long list of some of the best freeriders in the world and an all-new venue built by Kyle Jameson and Carson Storch, there's no doubt the FEST boys were going to throw down for one hell of a show.

The first rendition of Black Sage by the Fest Series was hosted by Kyle Jameson & Carson Storch east of Bend, OR at the Oregon Dirt Park. All the boys travelled from the corners of the earth to enjoy a week and a half of shredding the Black Sage course, and all that Central Oregon has to offer. Kyle and Carson spent 6 months carving the line out of the earth, and it was enjoyed by all. Thanks to all the fans that came out to support the boys on the public day.

What a week for GT Factory Racing. Brook Macdonald proves once again he's an absolute beast, while Wyn Masters and Sam Dale didn't have the runs they were looking for. On to Andorra!

After a bit of a battle in Fort William last week, the team’s luck has turned. The boys were amped for the fast conditions, loose corners and high-speed jumps of the Leogang Bike Park.

After a mechanical Brook had to eject from his bike crashing down a 15ft drop only to put in a solid qualification run the same day. All the boys made it comfortably into the finals and things are looking up again for the GT Factory Racing downhill team.